Southern California -- this just in

Expo Line breaks down between 23rd Street station and USC

Two Expo light rail trains broke down Thursday afternoon, blocking the tracks in both directions and triggering delays of up to three hours for passengers, county transit officials said.

The trains came to a halt between the 23rd Street Station and the Park USC Station because of damage to their pantographs -- devices that maintain contact with the overhead power lines that supply electricity for the Expo Line.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has established a bus bridge to take passengers between the 23rd Street Station and the Vermont stations. Delays of 30 minutes or more are expected for passengers traveling from or to the 7th Street Metro Center and Culver City.

The Expo Line, which opened on April 28, runs between downtown Los Angeles and Culver City. It now has about 16,000 boardings a day, MTA statistics show.